News MBC works with school children for Clean Air Day
Maidstone Borough Council is working with local school children to highlight the importance of air quality as part of Clean Air Day this week – Thursday 20 June.
MBC’s Environmental Health team will present at the Senacre Wood Primary School assembly to highlight to staff and students the importance of reducing pollution as part of the Council led Clean Air for School’s initiative - launched on Clean Air Day 2018.
Working in partnership with Tunbridge Wells and Swale Borough Councils, MBC is asking everyone to help make the air we breathe cleaner and healthier for all. The Council’s Environmental Health team is encouraging people this Thursday to give the car a rest and to walk, cycle or take the train to help reduce air pollution across the borough. They are also asking those who do need to drive, to switch off their vehicle engines when stationary to reduce pollution and improve air quality in and around Maidstone.
Cllr Derek Mortimer, Chair of MBC’s Community, Health and Environment Committee said:
“One of the most common places for cars to be left idling is outside school gates at drop off and pick up, and this means some of the most vulnerable in our community are being exposed to increased and unnecessary air pollution.
“As part of Clear Air Day, we are reminding everyone how important it is to think about their journey, and in particular, asking drivers to avoid engine-idling in areas around schools and to switch-off their vehicle engines when stationary.”
The MBC Clean Air for Schools project is aimed at primary schools across the Maidstone borough and is designed to engage with students, and via them their parents, to raise awareness of air quality issues and what people can do to help improve and protect air quality.
An element of the scheme when it launched, was the introduction of a competition for schools to design an anti-idling banner with the winning design being used in a wider campaign. Students from Maidstone’s Senacre Wood Primary School designed a banner which was produced and will presented to them this week by the MBC Environmental Health team as part of the school assembly.